At the Peoples Social Forum, six representatives of prominent civil organizations were heard. These organizations consider that the agreement does not seek to improve trade between countries, but instead are give new special rights to corporations, which undermine the democratic rights of peoples.

While last week ended on a positive note in terms of Europe's handling of its fiscal crisis, Canadians need to focus their concern on the so-called indirect effects from Europe's woes. The reality is that Europe has a very small footprint when it comes to Canadian trade abroad.

Evidence of outrageous cruelty and poor enforcement confirms that the Canadian government and the sealing industry continue to ignore concerns about inhumane killing raised by the European Union. And the repercussions to all Canadians -- and the Canadian economy -- could be severe.